Filling-machine.



A. LEALAND. FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY s1. 1907.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

A. LEALAND.

FILLING MACHINE. v APPLIOATION FILED MAY a1, 1907.

1,005,984. Patented (m1111911,

6 snnn'rs-sntnm 2.

*Fe/M f am A my A. LEALAND.

vFILI'JING MACHINE. APPLIOATION Hmm MAY s1. 1907.

1,005,984. Patented oct. `17', 1911. l

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COLUMBIA PLANUUIMPM co.. WASHINGTON D c A. LEALAN D.

A FILLING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 31, 1907.

1,005,984. Patented o@t.17,1911`.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH C0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

A. LEALAND.

FILLINGV MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY a1. 1907.

Patented Oct. 17,1911. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 6. E .Il l y )Zy lA?.

cnLumam Pumohmm co.. wA

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FILLING-MA CHINE.

i ,oosnar Application filed May 31, 1907. Serial No. 376,594.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR LEALAND, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Middleton, near Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, foreman, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Filling-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new or improved machine for enabling jam and similar substances, sauces, patent medicines, and other liquids to be filled into jars, bottles, and the like in great quantity with rapidity and accuracy of measurement, the filling operation being at present most generally carried out by hand or by means of apparatus in which the operation is not near as satisfactory and advantageous as in the present device.

My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying` drawingsin which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my improved machine, Fig. 2 plan of same, Fig. 3 end elevation as seen from the left hand side of Fig. l, Fig. 4t transverse sectional elevation to an enlarged scale of a slight modification to be hereinafter described, Fig. 5 side elevation of a portable trolley to carry the crates or boXes in which the vessels to be filled are held, Fig. 6 end elevation of same from the left of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 end elevation from the right of Fig. 5, Fig. 8 detail elevation of screwed pillars for supporting the boxes or crates, Fig. 9 elevation of the feeding or cooling trough, Fig. 10 partial plan of same, Fig. l1 end elevation as seen from left hand side of Fig. 9, and Fig. l2 end elevation as seen from the right hand side of Fig. 9.

Although as already described my invention is designed for filling liquids or semiliquids into jars and other vessels I shall more particularly describe it in connection with the filling of jam into jars. In carrying out my invention, therefore, with reference to a machine for this particular purpose I transfer the jam after it has been boiled to a suitable tank a. (Figs. 9 to 12) preferably of a predetermined cubical capacity, such tank having its bottom inclined from back to front the latter being the discharge end. The tank may be perfectly stationary and merely rest upon a suit-able frame o of a stationary character. I find,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

however, that it is advantageous to let the tank remain level while the boiling jam is being run into it and to obtain the necessary inclination of the bottom to allow the jam to flow freely by loosely pivoting the front end of t-he tank on pivots c rest-ing in bearings of the frame l) and to provide at the rear end of the tank a pivoted depending rack CZ with which a pinion (Z1 engages, such pinion being mounted on a shaft cl2, the forward end of which is provided with a hand wheel Z3 to enable the shaft to be turned, a pawl Zt engaging with teeth on the periphery of the hand wheel so as to hold the tank in the required inclined position, while the jam is discharged. To assist in causing the jam to flow I may support on the longitudinal edges of the tank a a shaft e provided with flanged wheels cl said shaft having loosely pivoted on it a board or paddle c2 depending into the tank a, this paddle being' located at the rear end of the tank prior to the am being placed therein. As the tank is inclined the board moves forward on its supporting shaft toward the front of the tank and assists in forcing the jam toward the front end. At the front end of the tank I arrange one or a ,plurality of discharge holes f, the opening and closing of which is controlled by valves, preferably, sluice valves f1 adapted to slide in grooves formed at the inner sides of the tank a. Each of these valves is provided with means for lifting it which may consist of a pivoted lever f2 adapted to engage with a link f coupled to the valve. I may, however, arrange any other suitable form of valve by which the tank can be readily discharged of its contents. Each valve may be arranged to open separately so that the jam may be discharged through one valve only, if required, though I may arrange any number of valves which, if required may be arranged to open simultaneously und in such a case the valve handles or istems could be connected to an operating lever to effect the simultaneous opening by one movement only. A tapered division board maybe arranged at the front end of the tank as indicated in Fig. 10 so as to guide the jam from the center of the tank toward the valve opening.

In front of the discharge openings in the tank I arrange a somewhat long frame g having an inclination from back to front loo corresponding somewhat with the inclination of the bottom of the tank a though such inclination may be arranged at any degree found most suitable for the object I have in view. The constructional details of this frame are indicated in Figs 5 to 8. This frame is mounted upon wheels g1 and is therefore of a portable character. It is adapted to carry wooden or other cases or crates g2, in which a number of jam jars of the same or different capacities are placed with their open ends upward, against each other or in nests or divisions in regular order. The cases or crates may be placed upon adjustable bases individually of any suitable character which may be raised or lowered in accordance with the depth of the crates and the length of the jam jars arranged therein, the object of the adjustments being to place each crate or case about equi-distant from the inclined end face of a frame Z1, which I shall presently describe. rllhe cratewsupporting means I have shown in the drawings as consisting of angle plates z' mounted upon screws l passing through tapped holes or nuts in a frame 2 mounted upon the frame g so that each crate may be adjusted separately. Zhen so adjusted I may raise the whole of the crates simultaneously toward the frame ZL by connecting to the frame 2 racks with which pinions jl on a suitably-mounted horizontal shaft jg engage such shaft having fixed thereon at one end or in any other suitable position a lever js for turning the shaft, such lever being adapted to engage with teeth on a segment plate or like device j* to enable the shaftand lever and consequently the frame 2 to be held in the uppermost or raised position, while the jars are being filled with jam. By disengaging the lever when the latter operation is completed the frame can be lowered to enable the whole combined frame to be taken away from beneath the frame ZL and to have the crates removed and replaced therein with a furt-her supply of jars or to enable a second frame carrying a second lot of crates to be placed under the frame ZL while the first frame is discharged.

The frame L hereinbefore referred to may also be of a portable character and provided with wheels Ztl for that purpose, though it may be a fixed frame if required but by'being arranged portable it can be trasferred from one tank Z to another, Or the tank a may be portable. On the frame h I arrange a number of secondary frames Za corresponding in their number with the nurnber of crates the jars in which are to be filled with jam. As will be seen from Fig. 2 two rows or nests of frames are arranged longitudinally of the frame L. These secondary frames have projecting from their under sides measuring vessels Z corresponding in number with the number of am jars in each crate. Each of these vessels is of a pre-determined cubical capacity, its lower end being formed somewhat conical while its upper portion may be cylindrical or of any other suitable cross section. In the drawings I have shown this upper portion of square cross section. The extreme lower end of each vessel Z is provided with a hole m capable of being closed by a valve m1 arranged on a central stem m2 the upper portion of the valve being conical or otherwise so arranged as not to present obstruction to the jam to be measured by the vessel. Each vessel Z or preferably each nest of vessels have attached to them a hollow spout or conduit a or plate arranged at an inclination along the upper ends of the measuring vessels, corresponding to that of the inclination of the frame ZL but I would here have it understood that the inclination may be varied independent of the inclination of the yframe ZL which is usually of a stationary character though if, as I lmay require, the frame ZL may have an inclination adjusted by some such means as described in connection with the trough or vessel a. .Each hollow spout or conduit of one vessel or nest of vessels at its lower end is adapted to fit over the upper end of the spout of the next following vessel or nest of vessels so as to form a long continuous spout or conduit or plurality of such for the full length of the inclined frame. The number of such conduits may, however, correspond with the number of the discharge orifices and valves in the tank or vessel a hereinbefore described. The measuring vessels may, of course, be arranged in the secondary frames in a different way or so that the frames themselves may, when together, form the long conduit or conduits referred to, the object being vto provide one or a plurality of long conduits down which the jam can flow and fill up the measuring vessels in the process of flowing.

The valve spindles m2 of each particular nest of measuring vessels over each crate are adjustably connected to a frame which may consist of transverse bars 0 through holes in which the upper ends of the spindles m2 are passed loosely and held loosely in position by nuts 0l so that the valve spindles and valves can swing or have perfect freedom of movement to seat themselves in the holes m at the lower ends of the measuring vessels Z. The bars 0 are formed in one with or connected to a longitudinal bar 02 to which, in turn, are coupled links 03, the Lipper ends of which are connected to levers p fixed on longitudinal shafts p1, one shaft being employed in connection with the nest of vessels forming one conduit. The object of this'arrangement is to enable the whole of the spindles and valves in connection with the measuring' vessels to be lifted simultaneously. Further mechanism in connection with this object comprises a spur wheel g on each longitudinal shaft and a third wheel g1 mounted on a stud carried by a suitably arranged bracket, such third wheel gearing with one of the other wheels while the two wheels gear with each other. Connected to the third wheel is a lever g2 the movement of which rotates the wheels and longitudinal shafts and lifts up or lowers the valve spindles and valves as and when required. The before described arrangement of valve spindles enables each to be readily removed for cleaning purposes.

The lower end of each measuring vessel Z terminates near to the open end of each jam jar and to prevent any splashing of jam during lling a small curved eXtension plate 1" may be fixed to the vessel at a point below the valve opening.

I may if desired arrange for the nests of measuring vessels to depend into one or more tanks s as illustrated in Fig. 4, filled with hot water or otherwise heated so as to enable the measuring vessels to be kept warm during the operation of filling and to enable the jam to iiow more freely by preventing congealing. The tank or tanks s may be supplied with hot water from a suitable heating boiler and be conducted thereto by a pipe or pipes controlled by one or more valves or taps, suitable valves or taps being employed for discharging the water, when required. The separate tanks may be fed with hot water from a common source or be discharged by a pipe common to all the tanks. Or in some cases cold water may be placed in the tank where the cooling of the substance would be an advantage.

In an apparatus such as described thej am is rst placed in the tank a after boiling, the valves of which are closed. At the same time the whole of the valves in the measuring vessels are also on their seats. l1he valves in the tank a are then opened so that the am' flows down the conduits and in doing so drops into the measuring vessels each nest of which is iilled in turn until the ylower end of the frame is reached after which each nest of valves can be raised by the means described when the jam at once slides out into the jars in the crates. To enable this to be readily accomplished it should be said that the measuring vessels and valves in them are constructed so as to present smooth surfaces to the jam and prevent any lodgment of it therein.' The capacity of the jam tank may, if necessary, be equal to the combined cubical capacity of the nests of measuring vessels, though not necessarily and should tnere be any surplus jam when the bottom nest is reached it can be caught in a special vessel t provided for the purpose and be afterward returned to the tank. By the means described a large number of jars can be filled simule taneously and quickly and accurately as to weight or quantity and at a little labor cost. After the jars are filled the crates are removed by means of the portable frame supporting them and a second frame or a second quantity of crates are placed beneath the stationary frame as already described.

That I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is l. In a machine for the purposes described, the means for supporting a plurality of crates for holding the vessels to be filled consisting of a portable frame supported by wheels, a second frame mounted thereon carrying adjustable screws for supporting the crates and enabling their individual adjustment to be obtained and a shaft and rack gear mechanism operated and controlled by a lever'for enabling the crates to be simultaneously raised and lowered substantially as described.

2. In a machine for filling jars, bottles and the like, a portable frame for supporting a plurality of crates for holding the vessels to be filled, a second frame mounted thereon, means for supporting said crates and allowing of their individual adjust-ment and additional means for simultaneously moving the crates into a raised or lowered position.

3. In a machine for filling jars, bottles and the like, consisting of a tank provided with an adjustably inclined bottom, slide valves at the forward end of the tank, a frame for adjustably supporting a plurality of vessel bearing crates, a portable frame arranged over the first frame for supporting a plurality of nests cf measuring vessels, valves for said vessels and a gear operated rock shaft for each row of nests of measuring vessels for simultaneously raising or lowering said valves.

4. In a machine for filling jars, bottles and the like, consisting of a tank pivoted at its forward end and adjust-ably secured at its rear end, a plurality of slide valves at the forward end of said tank, a portable frameA for supporting a plurality of vessel bearing crates in conjunction with means for independently and simultaneously adjusting said crates, a second frame arranged over the first frame for supporting a plurality of nests of measuring vessels, valves for said vessels, a gear operated rock shaft for each row of nests, said shafts having a plurality Vof arms rigid therewith for operating said valves and conduits of the sides of said rows of nests.

In a filling machine, a portable frame, a plurality of individually adjustable crates carried thereby, a second portable frame arranged over the first named frame, carrying the iilling mechanism and means for simultaneously moving said crates with relation to the lling mechanism.

6. In a machine for iilling jars, bottles and the like, a plurality of frames supporting measuring vessels, each frame having its upper end lying under the lower end ofthe preceding frame and over the upper end of the succeeding frame and an inclined conduit for said vessel carrying frames lying longitudinally of the fra-mes.

7. In a machine for illing jars, bottles and the like, a frame carrying a series of nests of measuring vessels, a plurality of valves for each nest of measuring vessels, spindles connected to said valves, a common supporting frame for each series of spindles comprised in said nests, a central rod for each frame, longitudinal rock shafts carried by said lirst mentioned frame, a plurality of levers rigid with said shafts and connected to said central rods and means for rotating said shafts, whereby said valves will be operated.

S. In a riding machine, a tank, slide valves at the forward end of said tank, a portable frame carrying a plurality of adjustable vessel carrying crates, a second portable frame arranged over the first named frame, a plurality of nests of measuring vessels carried thereby, a Valve for each Vessel and means for simultaneously operating said valves.

9. In a filling machine, a portable frame, a second frame mounted thereon carrying a plurality of individually adjustable Vessel carrying crates, and means for reciprocating the said second frame, whereby the crates are moved to and from the filling mechanism.

l0. In a filling machine, a frame, a second frame mounted thereon, a plurality of adjustable crates carried thereby, a portable frame arranged over the first named frame, said portable frame being provided with a lilling mechanism and means for operating said filling mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR LEALAND.

lVitness'es:

VILLLIAM HENRY TAYLOR, AMY E. EVINS.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

